Disposable mop and holder for mop frame



p 15, 1970 R. J. LINDSTROM DISPQSABLE MOP AND HOLDER FOR MOP FRAME 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 4, 1968 iii - INVENTOR. R BERT J. LINDSTROM BYv ATT RNEYS Sept. 970 R. J. LINDSTROM DISPOSABLE MOP AND HOLDER FOR MOPFRAME 2 Sheets-Shet Filed NOV. 4, 1968 INVENTOR. ROBERT J. UNDSTROM BYWM,MVZZ:M,

United States Patent 3,528,120 DISPOSABLE MOP AND HOLDER FOR MOP FRAMERobert J. Lindstrom, 400-410 W. 2nd St, Sedalia, Mo. 65301 Filed Nov. 4,1968, Ser. No. 773,179 Int. Cl. A471 13/20 U.S. Cl. 15-228 4 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to cleaningdevices and assemblies and more particularly to dust mops including acollecting portion that is removable and disposable.

Various designs of cleaning mops have been used and a common design ofdust mop is of the type having a mop head with a plurality of fabricstrings or yarn attached to the underside thereof. In operation of sucha mop head, the strings pick up dirt and dust from the floor when adusting motion is applied to the mop head and the pickedup dirt and dustcan be released by shaking the mop head or by laundering. The stringsbecome dirty and such devices are unsightly and present problems instoring.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide a novelcleaning assembly having a disposable pad which is easily and quicklyattached and removed from the cleaning assembly; to provide such acleaning assembly which is particularly adapted for use as a dustingmop; to provide such a cleaning assembly in which the member to whichthe pad is removably attached is substantially the same as a fabricmember of a string type dust mop and applicable to the same frame andhandle structure therefor; to provide such a cleaning assembly whereinthe pad is a flexible member of unwoven synthetic fiber arranged in ahaphazard manner and which provides a cushion efiect in use; to providesuch a cleaning assembly wherein the pad has flexible, resilient, andnon-scratching characteristics; and to provide such a cleaning assemblyof simple structure, commercially feasible, and highly efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and examplecertain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning assembly embodying featuresof the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the cleaning assemblytaken on line 2-2, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a pad and fabric body memberof the cleaning apparatus showing means on the body member for removablyattaching same to the pad.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the body member.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified cleaning assembly wherein thepad is a quadrangular member having angular corners.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a further modified cleaning apparatuswherein the pad is an elongate rectangular member having the longerdimension thereof transverse to a handle.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified cleaning assembly adapted foruse as a mitt-like hand mop.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 generally designates a cleaning assembly havinga planar disposable pad 2 of flexible unwoven fiber which is removablyattached to a fabric body member 3 similar in structure to a body memberof a string type dust mop. The body member 3 has upper and lower panelportions 4 and 5 respectively joined together at their respectiveperipheral edges 6 and 7. The body member 3 has an aperture 8 thereinfor access between the upper and lower panel portions 4 and 5 to receivea dust mop frame and handle structure which, in the illustratedstructure, is a frame structure 9 pivotally mounted on one end of anelongate handle 10. The body member 3 has attaching means 11 secured toa lower or bottom surface 12 of the lower panel portion 5 for removablyattaching the pad 2 thereto.

The pad 2 may be of any suitable peripheral shape and is illustrated asa quadrangular member having rounded corners 14, said shape beingadapted for production cutting, as by die cutting. It is preferable thatthe pad 2 be formed of a suitable plastic, such as polyester, and thatthe material have a density in the nature of less than two pounds percubic foot, thereby providing sufficient space between adjacent fiberswhereby each fiber can attract and hold a relatively large volume ofdust, lint and the like. It is preferable that the fibers of the pad 2be arranged in a haphazard manner to interengage with the attachingmeans 11, as later described. It is also preferable to coat the fibersto give a suitable stiffness and body to the pad 2 while retaining aflexible and resilient characteristic.

The pad 2 preferably is of uniform thickness, such as from one-half inchto one inch to 1"), to provide a volume to receive and hold dust and toprovide a cushion effect between the surface (not shown) being dustedand the body member 3 thereby substantially eliminating damage to thesurface, such as scratching, while permitting suificient pressure toproperly dust furniture and the like. A suitable pad material isproduced by Kimberly- Stevens Corporation and is UBS polyester(Bondaire) unwoven with binder padding having a density of less than twopounds per cubic foot.

The fabric body member 3 has an edging member 15 preferably of fabricsuitably attached to the peripheral edges 6 and 7 of the upper and lowerpanel portions 4 and 5, as by being sewed thereto, to provide a finishedappearance and to join the peripheral edges together to define a chamber16 between the upper and lower panel portions. An edge fabric 17 is sewnon the upper panel portion 4 around the edges of the aperture 8 toprovide a finished appearance therefor. The edging member 15 and theedge fabric 17 are each folded to cover the respective edges therebyprotecting same and providing a finished appearance to the body member3.

The frame structure 9 is illustrated as a wire frame bent or shaped toconform to the interior of the body member 3 and having a curved forwardend 18 adapted to be inserted through the aperture 8 whereby the wireframe structure 9 is retained within the chamber 16 and engages theperipheral edges thereof. The frame structure 9 has a mounting portion19 pivotally mounted on the wire frame portion. The mounting portion 19is adapted to removably receive one end of the elongate handle 10whereby the pad 2 and body member 3 are pivotable relative to the handle10.

It is preferred that the frame structure 9 be sized and shaped to bereceived in and retained in body portions of cleaning devices havingconventional string or yarn thereon whereby the body member 3 isinterchangeable with body portions of conventional cleaning devices.

The body member 3, shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, is an elongatemember of generally triangular structure having a generally roundedapex, to receive the curved forward end 18 of the frame structure 9, andthe aperture 8 is adjacent the base thereof whereby the long dimensionof the body member 3 and pad 2 is substantially alignable with thehandle 10.

The short dimension of the pad 2 is in the nature of eight to sixteeninches and is substantially transverse to the handle 10 whereby, whenthe pad 2 is moved transversely to the narrow dimension thereof, thewidth of the path dusted is relatively narrow compared to the path takenby a person (not shown) using same. The pad 2 has a larger area than thebody member 3 whereby the pad 2 has peripheral portions extending beyondthe perimeter of the body member 3.

The attaching means 11 is formed of an elongate strip of flexible fabrichaving a plurality of elongate projections 21 extending therefrom andadapted to interengage with the unwoven fibers which are arranged in ahaphazard manner in the pad 2. It is preferable that the projections 21have sufiicient rigidity to penetrate into the pad 2 and have hookshaped free ends and be of a suitable flexible plastic, especially thehook portion thereof, whereby the projections 21 will easily and readilybend to disengage from the respective fibers in response to pulling thebody member 3 away from the pad 2. The strip 20 is suitably secured tothe lower or bottom surface 12 of the lower panel portion 5, as by asewed seam 22. The fastener projections 21 and the fibers of the pad 2are such that pads 2 may be attached and removed from the body member 3'repeatedly without an accumulation of fibers on the projections 21 sothe structure is of long life. In the illustrated structure, theattaching means 11 consists of a plurality of strips 20 secured to thelower or bottom surface 12 of the body member 3. The strips 20 eachextend between opposite edges of the body member 3 and transversely tothe long dimension thereof.

In use, the body member 3 is attached to the pad 2 and the framestructure 9 is inserted through the aperture 8 and positioned Within thechamber 16 and the cleaning assembly 1 is pushed across floors, walls,ceilings and the like until the pad -2 contains all the dirt, dust, lintand the like possible or desirable and then the pad 2 is removed andreversed whereby the attaching means 11 engages the dirty or fullsurface of the pad 2 thereby presenting a clean surface for use which,when the clean surface is also full or contains all the dirt, dust, lintand the like possible or desirable, the full pad 2 is removed anddisposed of. The body member of the cleaning assembly is then ready toreceive a clean pad 2 which can then be used until same is also dirty.

An additional use of the cleaning assembly is for waxing floors,woodwork, furniture and the like wherein liquid wax is poured on theexposed surface of the pad 2 and the exposed surface having wax thereinis placed in contact with a surface to receive the wax. The pad 2 ismoved in the conventional manner while in contact with the surface toreceive the wax, whereby the flexible material of the pad 2 yields agradual supply of the wax in sufiicient quantity to properly treat andprotect the receiving surface. The pad 2 is also reversible when usedfor waxing and is disposable when both surfaces thereof are soiled.

When used for waxing, the pad 2 may also be formed of unwoven naturalfibers, however, it is preferable that the unwoven natural fibers bearranged in an interconnected haphazard manner and be retained in astructure of low density having suitable stiffness and body whileretaining flexibility and resiliency.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified cleaning assembly 23 wherein the bodymember 3 is removably attached to a modified pad 24 which is aquadrangular member having angular corner 25 particularly adapted toenter corners formed by intersecting surfaces, such as walls at ceilingsand floors, in closets, drawers, shelves and the like.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modified cleaning assembly 26 having an elongatepad 27 of a substantially rectangular shape having angular corners 28.The pad 27 is for use with an elongate fabric body member 29, such as isused for elongate dust mops used in commercial buildings, bowling alleysand the like with a long dimension of from twelve to sixty inches. Thebody member 29 has a slit 30 communicating with an aperture 31. An upperpanel portion 32 having the slit 30 therein has substantially paralleledge portions 33 and 34 adjacent the slit 30, and the edge portions 33and 34 are each finished by an edge member 35 suitably secured thereto,as by sewing. The edge portions 33 and 34 each have at least oneflexible tie 36 mounted thereon for cooperatively closing the slit 30and aperature 31 after a frame structure 37 has been received in thebody member 29.

The pad 27 and the body member 29 are each substantially rectangular andhave the long dimension thereof substantially transverse to a handle 38which is centered thereon and are separably secured together byattaching means in the same manner as the pad 2 and body mem her 3 ofthe structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive.

FIG. 7 illustrates a modified cleaning assembly 39 having a planardisposable pad 40 and a body member 41 having upper and lower panelportions 42 and 43 suitably joined together at their respectiveperipheral edges, as by stitching 44. An aperature 45 is formed of anelastic material defining a sleeve 46 for access between the upper \andlower panel portions 42 and 43. The aperture 45 is at the peripheraledges of the upper and lower panel portions 42 and 43 of the body member41 and a portion of the sleeve 46 is mounted on the upper panel portion42 and a portion of the sleeve 46 is mounted on the lower panel portion43. The pad 40 is secured to the panel portion 43 of the body member byattaching means 47 -'mounted on the body member and having the samestructure as the attaching members 20 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The cleaning assembly 39 illustrated in FIG. 7 is adapted for use as acleaning mitt to receive a hand (not shown) of a person using samewhereby the cleaning assembly 39 is particularly adapted for dustingfurniture tops, sides, shelves, cabinets and the like which are Withineasy arm reach of a person (not shown) using same.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and describedcertain forms of my invention it is not to be limited to these specificforms or arrangements of parts herein described and shown.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A disposable mop and holder comprising:

(a) a holder structure removably mounted and interchangeable with aconventional yarn type mop on a mop frame, said holder having a fabricbody member of upper and lower wall portions secured together atperipheral edge margins and defining a pocket to receive a mop frame,

(b) a disposable mop in the form of a planar pad of unwoven fibersarranged in a haphazard manner, said fibers being interconnected andretained in a self-retaining flexible structure of low density, said padbeing larger than the holder whereby it extends outwardly of theperiphery thereof,

(c) connectiing members secured in spaced apart relation on the bottomwall portion of said holder and having a plurality of closely spaceddownwardly extending projections for engaging the fibers of the mop padto releaseably hold the pad on the holder during mopping operations.

2. The cleaning assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connectingmembers includes:

(a) spaced elongate flexible strips having opposed faces;

(b) said plurality of closely spaced projections ex tending from oneface of each said strip, said projections being adapted to interengagewith said unwoven fibers in said pad;

(c) said strips being secured to the body member with the other face ofeach said strip engaging the bottom surface of the bottom wall of thebody member.

3. The cleaning assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

(a) said projections are each flexible plastic members with sufiicientrigidity to penetrate into said pad; and

(b) said projections each have hook shaped free ends.

4. A mop structure comprising,

(a) a handle, mop frame structure pivotally mounted on one end of thehandle and adapted to receive a conventional yarn type mop head,

(b) a holder structure removably mounted and interchangeable with suchconvention yarn type mop on said mop frame, said holder having a fabricbody member with upper and lower wall portions secured together atperipheral edge margins and defining a pocket to receive said mop framein retained engagement therewith.

(c) a disposable mop in the form of a planar pad of unwoven fibersarranged in a haphazard manner, said 25 fibers being interconnected andretained in a soft retaining flexible structure of low density, said padbeing larger than the holder whereby it extends out wardly of theperiphery thereof; (d) spaced elongate flexible strips having opposedfaces,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1941 Cooper 15-227 9/1953 Dyeret al 15227 12/1959 Smith 15247 1/ 1967 Belsky et a1 15-228 XR 5/1968Fink 15247 8/1968 Hughes 15228 DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner US. Cl.X.R.

